エコー
by mistsplash
Summary: Title: Echoes. /She'll hear his voice at the oddest of times./


エコー

_(echoes)_

by mistsplash

* * *

泡

_(bubbles)_

Soapy spheres are floating through the air, accompanied by childish giggles and shouts of glee. Residents of the apartment building, especially ones on the same floor as the bubbles, know almost immediately who is causing the all the noise, for it's a regular routine.

Tai Kamiya and Sora Takenouchi are easily the loudest five-year-olds in Highton View Terrace, always managing to get into trouble and cause mischief with their so-called "adventures"; always managing to weasel out of said trouble by wooing adults with doe-eyes and naïve cuteness.

Now, however, they are in a peaceful state, sitting next to each other on the balcony, only a railing separating them from the danger of falling. Before them is an opened pack of bubble soap, something that they had always found amusing. They aren't causing mayhem at the moment because Tai has a new baby sister, Kari, and he knows that stressing his mother further would be very, very bad. So, to cure his boredom, he invited his best friend over.

"Sora, Sora! Betcha I can blow a bigger bubble than you!" he taunts her, grinning.

"No way!" the redhead protests, shaking her head vigorously. "I'll totally beat you."

"Prove it!" he all-but-screams, brown eyes glittering with mirth.

"Fine!" she says, sticking her tongue out at Tai before holding the bubble wand close to her lips. "Ready? Go!"

Five seconds and a fit of wheezing later, two bubbles are floating away from the duo, one noticeably bigger than the other.

"Ha! I won," Sora says smugly, folding her arms over her chest and waiting for Tai's reaction.

"Aw, no _way_!" he whines, his lips forming a pout and his eyebrows drawing together. "You cheated."

"I did not!"

"Did _too_!"

"Did _not_!"

"Did _too!_"

"Did _not!_"

"Did _not!_"

"Did too!"

"Haha, you fell for it!"

"_Tai!"

* * *

_

チームワーク

_(teamwork)_

Children of varying ages and sizes are scattered across the many green fields, yelling out commands at each other and arguing and laughing and generally being friends. Some are locked in a serious game; others are only practicing. Two seven-year-olds are standing at the entrance to the fields, sports bags slung over their shoulders in an identical fashion as they grin in anticipation.

It's their first time at soccer camp, but they have no doubt that it'll be their best. They have both been in love with the sport since a young age, and now they can finally show off their skills.

Halfway into the camp, Sora is absolutely fed up. Tai has been acting like a brat, and she has no problem telling him just that. The two currently aren't on speaking terms, but it's his fault, she thinks. They were supposed to be in this together, just like everything else, but no, Tai goes off with the "cool crowd", leaving Sora alone and friendless. It isn't pleasant, but she doesn't want to talk to someone who's so mean to her, anyways.

Tai loves this camp. He's having a great time. He's made all new friends, he's been called an excellent player on many occasions, and he's undefeated. The only problem is Sora. She's mad at him for some reason; he doesn't really know why. What he does know is that Sora isn't talking to him, and if she's going to be like that, then _fine_, he can be that way too.

Somewhere in this period of I-will-never-speak-to-you-again, they land themselves in an incredibly tough match. The score is tied, and Tai manages to gain possession of the ball. Tai, being Tai, charges straight down the middle of the field, ignoring the alarmed looks his teammates send him. It's his chance to shine. He will make that goal and everyone will love him.

He's so caught up in those thoughts that he nearly misses Sora's cry of "Tai! Pass to me!" For a moment, he's surprised; when did Sora start talking to him again?

He's kicking the ball—towards the goal or Sora, he isn't sure; the next thing he knows he's eating the grass he was previously running on. Suddenly, a warm hand helps him up, and he's even more surprised to see Sora smiling at him, complementing him on his great pass. Apparently, she scored the goal, but it's all thanks to him.

"You know," Sora confides, slightly breathless, "for a moment there, I thought you were going for the goal yourself."

He chuckles sheepishly but manages to smile at her. "Yeah."

Tai spends the rest of the camp with Sora, and Sora only.

* * *

スープ

_(soup)_

Ten-year-old Tai Kamiya stares down at the stove, unblinking. He's racking his brains desperately, trying to figure out why he's in the kitchen, wearing a frilly pink—_pink!_—apron, with his mother videotaping him.

Then it hits him. Sora's sick, and instead of walking over there and cheering her up like he normally does whenever she's sick, his mom had wanted him to make some soup to give to her. So, here he is, practically throwing away what little manliness he has.

"Can you put that thing away, mom?" he grumbles, glaring at the camera.

She smiles. "Oh, but sweetheart, I just want to remember this moment. Go on, it'll be like I'm not even here!"

He wants to tell her that that's impossible; he can practically _feel_ the camera lens focusing on him—in a frilly pink apron.

Still, figuring that complaining will get him nowhere, Tai does his best to ignore his mother and make the soup. After all, if he can't get away with _not_ making her food, he might as well make it the best thing she's ever tasted.

After what had seemed like hours of failed attempts, burnt food, and nearly burning the house down, Tai has a pot of soup. His mother has long since forgotten about videotaping the boy; she's more focused on setting the fires out, whenever they appear.

"It's finished!" he cries out, half in relief, half in satisfaction. "Mom, I'm going to Sora's house!"

His mom looks at him funnily, but he's too busy trying to get the pot off the stove to notice. "Uh, sure, Tai…"

At Sora's house, Tai is surprised to find that it's Sora, not her mom, who answers the door.

"Hey, Sora!" he greets her enthusiastically. "I got you some soup! Made it myself!" He holds up the container for emphasis.

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Um…thanks, Tai. But…"

"What?"

"Why're you wearing your mom's apron?"

"Er…"

* * *

安心

_(reassurance)_

It's late. The sky is nearly black; there are no stars.

_Fitting,_ Sora thinks glumly. She is the only one awake; the others are asleep in the small, hidden cave they had been staying in. It's her turn to guard, and she had allowed Biyomon to sleep. Sora knows that nothing will attack her—they're hidden from every angle, it seems—so letting her Digimon rest a little couldn't hurt.

Everything seems hopeless to Sora. They'll never get out of this place, she thinks. They'll never see their families again and they'll never be in the real world again and they'll be stuck there forever and they'll probably die some horrible death and _oh_, it's so painful and—

"Sora, I'll take your shift, if you want." The voice that has interrupted her thoughts is hushed and slightly awkward, but she knows that it's Tai; she can hear that underlying tone of mirth, the one he always seems to have.

"Why?" she asks. Tai's shift was long over…it was a miracle that he was even awake.

"You seem tired." He didn't elaborate. "So you can go on and sleep."

She stands, still glancing at him unsurely. The fire is barely alive, creating shadows on their faces. "You sure?"

He grins, and it's such a carefree and familiar gesture that Sora is compelled to smile back. Then something strikes her. "Where's Agumon?"

Tai frowns. "He's asleep. Where else would he be?"

"…don't you need him to guard?"

"You didn't need Biyomon."

"True."

Silence.

"Hey, Sora…" Tai says quietly, glancing up at her.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?" He sounds worried, but she can't be sure.

"Nothing…" It's a lie, one that she knows he can see through. She tenses, waiting for him to bombard her with questions, but that never comes. Instead, they are enveloped in a comfortable silence once more.

"You really should sleep, Sora," Tai says finally, turning to smile at her.

She's too tired to protest. "Okay, Tai."

"Oh, and Sora?"

"Wha'?"

"We'll get out of here, you'll see!" He grins at her then, one of those blinding grins that she often yells at him to tone down. This time, however, she just nods and smiles at him, not knowing whether to be grateful for or annoyed with his enthusiasm.

"Yeah, Tai. Good night."

"Night, Sora."

* * *

単純

_(simplicity)_

It's around three in the morning, but the two fifteen-year-olds pay no attention to that. Instead, they are wide awake, eyes glued to the television screen because their favorite show is having a two-day marathon. They are surrounded by a sea of snacks, most of them already open and half devoured. It's been a while since they had one of these little parties, consisting of the two of them, a mountain of junk food, and a crappy little box television that they've kept working since they were five.

Sora tosses a piece of popcorn at Tai, which lands in his bushier-than-usual hair.

"Hn?" he mumbles, the question evident in his tone.

"Turn up the volume."

He complies without another thought. Afterwards, he tosses the remote onto a mound of wrappers that vaguely resembles the coffee table, suppressing a yawn. It's all a competition, really, a competition to see who can stay awake the longest. Surprisingly, it's Sora who usually wins, but that doesn't stop Tai from trying.

"What the heck?" Sora shouts suddenly, the absolute horror evident in her voice. Lazily, Tai glances over at her, raising his eyebrows in question.

"Were you even watching?" she fumes, "How could they go and do _that_? She wasn't supposed to die! No, no, _no_!"

Tai smiles wryly at her, looking at the television screen, where, sure enough, Sora's favorite character is lying in a pool of blood. Suddenly, Tai feels popcorn being chucked at him from the other end of the couch, bowl and all.

"What was that for?" he asks dumbly, shifting the bowl over his head so that he could see. She laughs then, ignoring his questioning looks, because he looks so much like he did when they were younger, with a bowl over his head like a helmet, his hair flattened over his face, and his eyes, wide and earnest and questioning, peeping out from underneath his hair and the bowl. She's still snickering, the death of the character forgotten, when he throws a handful of popcorn back at her. And in that simple moment, she knows that she's the happiest she's ever been.

* * *

画像

_(picture)_

It's one of those times where it feels like the world is falling apart, just because one thing isn't the same.

Sora's room is bare. Well, almost bare. There are a few unimportant things left, like things she knows she can live without. This is the only downside of being accepted into a prestigious school for a year: leaving home.

She'll miss the people more, she knows. She knows that though the small, cramped room she spent the better part of her teenage years in will always have a place in her heart, she'll miss the city, her friends, and everything else more.

She has just gotten off the phone with Mimi, who secretly reminded her to take pictures, because Mimi had intoned that taking pictures along for the year would make moving less painful. Sora complies easily, nearly smacking herself for forgetting about the pictures.

She's spent the greater part of the day calling all of her friends, but most of the time, they don't have more to say than a sappy-yet-touching goodbye. Gosh, she's only leaving for a year; she'll be back. She knows that they know that.

She finds herself staring at _that_ picture. It's the one she's kept on her nightstand for years, the one of Tai and herself. They had been six at the time of the photo, at some ice cream parlor, their faces lit up in sugary grins and covered in the dessert. Her own cup had been almost untouched, for after discovering her deep dislike for chocolate ice cream, she had begged Tai to share his vanilla. He had agreed, of course.

Smiling at the memory, Sora packs away the photograph and makes a mental note to call Tai later. She had put it off earlier, because she knows that saying goodbye to him will be the hardest; they have been together for everything, after all.

When she does call him, he doesn't sound dismal or down—quite the opposite, actually. For a moment, she has half a mind to storm over to his house and slap him and ask him if he even remembers that she's leaving, but then (after a long afternoon of talking about random things, sharing memories, and laughing) he says into the phone, quietly, "Hey, Sora?"

It's _that_ tone. She knows what's coming next. "Yeah?" Her voice is even quieter, if that's possible.

"I'll miss you…"

Her eyes begin to burn, and she silently reprimands herself. Wasn't she just scoffing at her friends for being too sentimental about this? "I'll…miss you…too, Tai…" She hopes that he didn't hear her sniffle.

Tough luck. "Aw, hey, don't cry. We'll call each other and I'll visit 'n' stuff. It'll be fun, we'll be like pen pals!"

_Only Tai could say that and mean it,_ she thinks, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Blinking back more tears, she manages to laugh and say, "Yeah, sure. And you better not run off and get yourself a new best friend, okay?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Just in case, Tai. Just in case."

This time, he laughs. "Heh, don't worry, Sora. You'll always be my number one girl."

She rolls her eyes. "Of course."

"Love ya." He says it so casually; she can't help but say it back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Love ya."

* * *

再会

_(reunion)_

"_So-ora!"_

The voice, obnoxious and mischievous, is easily recognized by Sora. She blushes when she finds him, surrounded by family and friends, holding a large sign that says, "Tai's Number One Girl" in Tai's sloppy handwriting. She figures that he made it while driving to the train station, but she's flattered by his effort nonetheless. She just wishes he didn't yell so loud, because several people had turned to look at him after that outburst.

"Hey, Sora!" he shouts as she draws nearer. She grins broadly and envelopes him in a warm hug, telling him that he's an idiot but that she had missed him anyways. Then she goes to Matt, because he's her boyfriend, and gives him a peck on the cheek and a kind smile. She only barely notices that she went to her best friend before her boyfriend, but as odd as it sounds, Tai always came before Matt, even if she loves Tai as just a friend. Plus, she knows that Matt won't take it personally.

"How was the school?" Matt asks her.

"It was fun," she answers happily. "But I would've rather stayed home."

Tai slings an arm across her shoulders. "Then why didn't you? We _miiiiissed_ you."

She sighs. Same old Tai…"Why would _you_ miss me? You visited, like, every week!"

"No…" he says, grinning. "That lady banned me after she thought I was stalking you, 'member?"

Sora grins at the memory. _Boy_, had her teacher been upset when she found Tai in Sora's room. Her teacher had assumed that Tai was an intruder, because Sora had left to use the bathroom and he was alone in her room.

"Oh, yeah."

He snickers and begins to pull her bags through the crowded station, ignoring her protests.

* * *

結婚

_(marriage)_

Sora is in shock. She's absolutely numb. Half of her wants to squeal and hug her best friend, who's looking at her expectantly, while the other half wants to scream at him and storm out of the room in anger, only to be found by him later, sobbing her heart out for whatever reason.

But she can't do either of those things. Time's slowing down.

"Sora…_Sora_…hey, Sora…anyone home?" Tai is waving his hand in front of her face frantically. Annoyed, she bats it away and glares at him.

"What?" he asks, flinching under her glare, despite receiving it on many occasions.

"I can't—I—wha'—so _suddenly_…" Sora sighs, frustrated with herself. "I just can't believe you're marrying _that woman_!"

Tai is immediately defensive. "You said you really liked her when you met her, and I love her, so why not?"

Sora's scowl deepens. "_No!_ You're _Tai_! You're not supposed to marry anyone!"

"What does that mean?" He's obviously angry, but he's keeping it in check, because this is Sora, and he hates fighting with her.

"It means…ugh…I can't imagine you getting married, okay?"

Tai's eyebrows scrunch together in what one might call a cute way, but Sora is too busy glaring at him and mulling over her own thoughts to notice.

"But you're _Sora_, and I really can't imagine you getting married either. But you're getting married to Matt, aren't you?"

Sora feels like punching him for some reason, one that she can't exactly figure out. "No! That's different!" She takes a deep breath, looking down as she fiddles with the hem of her shirt. When she speaks again, her voice is hushed. "You're my best friend, Tai. You're _mine_."

To her surprise, and not to mention rage, he laughs. "Jealous, are we?" His tone is smug.

"You jerk!" she screams, hitting him. "I just don't want you with someone who can't look after you. I mean, without me, who _knows_ where you would be right now!"

Tai pouts, all evidence of arrogance gone from his features. "That's not nice."

"Stop being such a baby," she snaps at him.

"Are you really _that _mad at me?"

"…no. But promise we'll still be best friends?"

"Duh."

"And you'll call?"

"Of course."

"And you'll always love _me_ the most?"

"Always."

* * *

単独

_(alone)_

Blood is rushing in her veins.

Her heart speeds up.

She's turning paler; the room is getting colder.

Her grip on the phone tightens.

She's never felt so…alone.

Alone.

She's alone.

She's all alone.

_Alone._

"Wh-what?" she whispers into the phone, completely numb with shock. The house is silent; her gut twists horribly. She hopes this is all a dream, some sort of sick nightmare; she is wishing desperately, praying to every god she knows of, even though she's not religious. This can't be real. It's not real.

He can't be dead—because he's _Tai_. Tai's immortal. Tai can't die…it never seemed possible.

But that's not what her ears are telling her.

"I'm…sorry." She doesn't remember who's speaking anymore, but all she knows is that whoever it is, they're _too calm_. Don't they realize that…that…

She can't even think of a proper ending to that thought.

She doesn't cry. She can't. It's still settling in, "it" being the fact that this is _real_.

She doesn't want to accept it, not just yet. She won't accept it.

Just an hour ago, Matt had been smiling at her, telling her that he was going to take their daughter out for an ice cream. She had patted her pregnant belly and smiled back, saying that she wouldn't mind being alone for an hour or so. She had planned on calling Tai, planned on telling him the good news: she was pregnant. He had been so enthusiastic about Sora's first child, so she wanted to know how he would react this time.

She never got to talk to him.

There had been an accident, something about being hit by a drunk driver. Sora didn't listen to the details.

Slowly but surely, thick, warm, salty tears roll down her cheeks. This time, no one's there to cheer her up by cracking a lame joke or taking her out for a treat; this time, her sobs echo off the walls, piercing the chilling silence, and no one's there to hear her.

She's never felt more alone.

* * *

エコー

_(echoes)_

She hears his voice at the oddest at times. Sometimes, she'll be walking by a familiar shop, and there he'll be, in all his teenage glory—next to her, smiling, laughing, telling her about his day and asking her if she'd like to hang out later. Whenever she opens her mouth to reply, he vanishes—just like that.

Other times, she'll be sitting at home, alone with her children, and he'll be there, cooing over her daughter and smirking at her in that "you're-totally-not-mom-material" way. She smiles and talks to him, ignoring the odd looks her kids are giving her.

"Hey, Sora!"

She whips around, because for a moment, it's _his_ voice, mischievous and warm and familiar. After a second, she'll blink back to reality and realize that it's someone else. Her eyes darken in disappointment, and if the person notices, they don't mention it.

Over time, she stops latching onto every memory of him, because Matt and the therapists and everyone else are insisting that healing isn't forgetting. She sighs, wondering what Tai would've told her.

Still, the next time a teenage Tai waves at her from across the street, she ignores him, and she knows that he's not there for sure, because if he was he would've chased after her.

* * *

思い出

_(memories)_

One day, Sora realizes that she's been incredibly selfish and that Tai has a family, too, and that she hasn't even given a thought to them, even though it's been over a year. She does the first thing she can think of—she invites Tai's son over, and it's incredibly hard to keep her voice from breaking over the phone, because his wife sounds just as lonely as Sora feels.

Sora gulps as she watches her daughter and Tai's son chase each other around the house, because for a moment, it's her and Tai again, just two oblivious kids, blowing bubbles and wreaking havoc. For a moment, she's at peace; she can almost feel the wind on Tai's balcony, can almost hear herself accepting Tai's bubble-blowing challenge, she can almost hear Tai's voice…

When a ghost of Tai's teenage self appears next to her older, tired form, she lets herself slip for just that moment, and she's with him once more.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

The Japanese characters were gotten off of Google Translate, so if they're wrong or something, feel free to let me know. *is a language fail*

Anyway, this is slightly more "happy-and-friendly-to-a-poor-attempt-at-angst" than I had intended. Eh…I'm still happy with the result. Reviews are loved.


End file.
